Viber thinks about launching its own cryptocurrency in Russia

The parent company of Viber instant messenger is Japanese Rakuten Inc. – and now studies Russian legislation in the field of crypto-currency and expects to launch its own cryptocurrency on the basis of a messenger in 2019. This was told by the head of Viber Djamel Agaoua.

Rakuten plans to launch its Rakuten Coin crypto currency based on the existing loyalty program – it was announced in February this year.

“Our parent company Rakuten is working on the creation of Rakuten Coin – cryptocurrency, which is supported by the entire ecosystem of Rakuten” – Agaoua said, adding that the launch in Russia could occur in 2019.

According to him, Rakuten Coin’s crypto currency will appear in the purse of Viber and it can be exchanged for rubles, dollars and euros. The CEO of the messenger noted that now the company’s experts are studying Russian legislation in the field of crypto-currency.

The head of Viber said that, most likely, Rakuten Coin can be used to pay for purchases through the Viber wallet. Whether it will be possible to exchange the cryptocurrency for rubles and transfer to a bank account it is not clear yet: as Agaoua noted, this will depend on the legislation of the Russian Federation. In addition, to start it is necessary to obtain the appropriate license of the Central Bank, he specified.

In the fourth quarter of this year, Viber also plans to launch its e-commerce platform in Russia, Zephrin Lasker, head of e-commerce in Viber, said. With its help, instant messenger users can make purchases inside Viber, switching to partner sites for payment, he specified.

The monthly active audience of Viber in Russia as of June 2018 was 45 million users. Source: tass.ru